China on Wednesday reached out to India to join hands in fighting protectionism, amid its ongoing trade war with the US and visits by senior American officials to Beijing that have not helped ease the trade friction.

China and India, two of the largest emerging markets, are both in the vital stage of deepening reforms and developing economy, and both need a stable external environment, senior Chinese officials told ET, as pressure continues to mount on Beijing due to the spat with Washington.

The neighbours share common interests in defending the multilateral trading system and free trade, officials said, adding that President Xi Jinping and PM Narendra Modi spoke with one voice on this at the World Economic Forum in Davos.